“This is a story inspired by real life incidents but any resemblance may merely be coincidental and unintended.This is work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are products of the author’s imagination”

A group of young people were eating lunch on their hostel mess table and the topic being discussed was more like a scholarly debate championship and was on “Dowry System in India” India is country of diverse beliefs and culture that we famously call “unity in diversity”. The air was becoming hot with people both for and against discussing. Rajat was hearing all the discussion with great interest and he made a resolution that let other people do whatever he is not be partner to such a deal.

India is a country (world is not that different as well) where majority of parents or grand parents are supposed to create a lot of wealth for future generation so that they don’t have to struggle. And the root of rampant corruption is this basic tenet in life to provide a great platform for future generations which grows into unbounded greed and that is why we hear scams with incomprehensible numbers as was the case with 2G , Coal and lot of scams that are being churned out year after year. There’s a very old adage in Colloquial Hindi

पूत कपूत तो क्यूँ धन संचय पूत सपूत तो क्यूँ धन संचय (Poot kapoot to kyun dhan sanchay Poot sapoot to kyun dhan sanchay)

Which simply means  “Why accumulate wealth if kids are bad and why accumulate wealth if kids are good”

Rajat’s only aim at his college was to get a job and as was the trend those days someone found him worthy enough and he landed up at the great city of Bangalore which was getting overloaded by burgeoning population and desire of same old parents creating a platform for their future generations in Bangalore as well. The beautiful garden city was turning into a beautiful concrete jungle with glass offices, huge apartment complexes, flyovers, broader roads, choc-a-block traffic and what not . The older generations of Bangalore started cursing Rajat and people like them for the bleeding their beautiful Bengaluru. Rajat himself has come from tiny hamlets and was so in love with hills, chirping birds, whirlpools in the stream, walk in the woods that it took him great amount of time to start meandering in the clumsy lifestyle of the great city.

Years passed and he made some new friends and few friends were who were the dregs from the life in college  and life passed. And yes for the cliched time flies by really happened. That’s when people started getting married and within no time married people started becoming parents and yet again the circle of karma started.

Rajat never had a girlfriend which is very common in India. His mother’s direct invitation to find someone actually didn’t work.In India, its parent’s responsibility  to get their kid married or the society around makes their as well their kids life difficult.After lots of denial Rajat finally agreed to walk the path that is always chosen from centuries and started the “Grihasta” (second part of four stages in Indian hindu belief system ).

Rajat only chance to uphold the resolution of not taking the dowry has finally come and he tried all that he could. His parents were on his side, and Rajat himself starting saving and sending money to his parents so that they don’t to pull out all their life’s savings for the perfunctory rituals of marriages. He fought a valiant battle but he was not a undisputed winner. The society again came in and for them it was decided that a minimal things had to be done. Everyone believed that Rajat has no right to spoil the dreams of people just because of his resolution.

Rajat still feels that it was not right but people like him are more like the fools who think they can change the way things have worked forever. Though forever may not be like 2000 years ago but more like 50 years ago 🙂

Rajat has issues now which have just morphed themselves in different avatars and they keep coming. Rajat remains to be a warrior battling out with them but the history says nobody has turned out alive of this travail called life 🙂

Rajat is still considered fool in this world of wise people and life’s chakra is moving for him as it is for all others.